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Possibly Underrated Bassists?
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ExittheLemming View Drop Down
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Points: 11415 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote ExittheLemming Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 14 2021 at 00:17
Underrated is maybe not the best terminology for this type of thing. Perhaps under appreciated or deserving more attention would be more apt? Anyways, let's not split hairs:

Lee Jackson (the Nice and Refugee)
Jim Rodford (Argent)
Jan Patrick Djivas (PFM)
Petr Vink (Finch)
Holger Czukay (Can)
Victor Wooten (Bela Fleck & the Flecktones)
Colin Hodgkinson (Back Door)

Non Prog
John Deacon (Queen)
Simon Gallup (the Cure)
Andy Rourke (the Smiths)
Les Pattinson (Echo & the Bunnymen)
Barry Adamson (Magazine, Bad Seeds and others)
Steve Hanley (the Fall)
Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath)
Steve Severin (Siouxsie & the Banshees)
Jean-Jacques Burnel (the Stranglers)
Fred Smith (Television)
Bruce Thomas (Elvis Costello & the Attractions)
Colin Moulding (XTC)
Bruce Moreland (Wall of Voodoo)






Edited by ExittheLemming - November 14 2021 at 00:20
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cstack3 View Drop Down
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Originally posted by moshkito moshkito wrote:

Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

...
a)  Mike Howlett, of Gong - check out his work on Gong's "You" LP 

b)  Lothar Meid, of Amon Duul II - great work on "Wolf City" and others, RIP! 

Hi,

Mike was always on the money and he could play and not worry about being up front or behind. He was really tight and careful and detailed and it showed many times. His work on some of the live albums is just as good, and we also did not see that he played with Pip, Pierre and then the S2S kid ... three very different drummers, and his playing still fit ... did we miss a beat? Never.

Lothar Meid is one of the great ones, that is ignored. His work on the MM Soundtrack is even better and shows some patience and touch that is not a part of most bass players ... it's about the silence and when not to play and still have a touch left to help propel the music forwards.

I seriously doubt that these two will get any credit. However there are/were several very nice choices, though I do not think they are necessarily the best. John G. Perry did an outstanding job with Caravan for one album and quit the bass it seems. Helmut Hattler is very special but I don't think that most folks here listen to Kraan, Guru Guru (in a couple of albums), and other bits here and there. The live Kraan albums are a good start for what this guy can do! 

I was thinking that Hugh Hopper should also be mentioned in this group.

Honorable mention ... thx to DE for putting John Glascock on this list. His work in Carmen was out of this world, and I'm not sure that he shined as much on JT albums as he did on Carmen, but maybe this was because he was not to be as close to the front as he was in Carmen.

Last addon. Dave Pegg of Fairport Convention and with Richard Thompson on a couple of live albums ... outstanding!

Thanks, M, great comments!  Also, thanks for Dave Pegg and Rich Thompson!  You listen!  

I have a soft-spot for self-taught bassists....Bob Fripp taught Boz Burrell how to play the instrument, and when he joined Bad Company, he brought the sweet sound of fretless bass to the AM radio waves!  

Geoffrey Hammond-Hammond of Jethro Tull was another "project" bassist, taught to play by Ian Anderson.  His work on Tull's albums was sublime, and he was nearly as flamboyant onstage as Ian!!  Great thread!!
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moshkito View Drop Down
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Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

...
a)  Mike Howlett, of Gong - check out his work on Gong's "You" LP 

b)  Lothar Meid, of Amon Duul II - great work on "Wolf City" and others, RIP! 

Hi,

Mike was always on the money and he could play and not worry about being up front or behind. He was really tight and careful and detailed and it showed many times. His work on some of the live albums is just as good, and we also did not see that he played with Pip, Pierre and then the S2S kid ... three very different drummers, and his playing still fit ... did we miss a beat? Never.

Lothar Meid is one of the great ones, that is ignored. His work on the MM Soundtrack is even better and shows some patience and touch that is not a part of most bass players ... it's about the silence and when not to play and still have a touch left to help propel the music forwards.

I seriously doubt that these two will get any credit. However there are/were several very nice choices, though I do not think they are necessarily the best. John G. Perry did an outstanding job with Caravan for one album and quit the bass it seems. Helmut Hattler is very special but I don't think that most folks here listen to Kraan, Guru Guru (in a couple of albums), and other bits here and there. The live Kraan albums are a good start for what this guy can do! 

I was thinking that Hugh Hopper should also be mentioned in this group.

Honorable mention ... thx to DE for putting John Glascock on this list. His work in Carmen was out of this world, and I'm not sure that he shined as much on JT albums as he did on Carmen, but maybe this was because he was not to be as close to the front as he was in Carmen.

Last addon. Dave Pegg of Fairport Convention and with Richard Thompson on a couple of live albums ... outstanding!


Edited by moshkito - November 13 2021 at 21:16
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Randy George - The Neal Morse Band
Ray Shulman - Gentle Giant
Justin Chancellor - Tool
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John Lodge - Moody Blues
John Glasscock - Carmen/Jethro Tull
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Ian Eyre - Curved Air 1970-71.
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Fred Baker, played with Phil Miller, Pip Pyle, and others.
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Another name not often mentioned even thou a little more known that some is Richard Bona.
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Points: 15862 		Post Options Post Options   Thanks (1) Thanks(1)   Quote verslibre Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: November 13 2021 at 09:49
Fabio Pignatelli of Goblin & Goblin Rebirth. The very definition of underrated. This man has recorded some of my favorite basslines.
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Originally posted by tszirmay tszirmay wrote:

John G.Perry (Caravan, Quantum Jump, Ant Phillips, Aviator and solo) 
Mick Karn (Japan and solo)
John Jowitt (Arena, IQ, Drifting Sun, Rain)
Lee Pomeroy (Wakeman, Hackett and sessions galore)
Paul Webb (Talk Talk)
Ralphe Armstrong (Ponty, sessions) 
Percy Jones (Brand X, sessions)
Fabio Zuffanti (Finisterre, La Maschera di Cera)

Percy Jones is not underrated. One can make a case for any of the others.

I noticed "new bassist" John Jowitt immediately when I first heard IQ's Ever. Glad I was able to see Arena and see the Jowster get his bass on. Clap
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Rarely do I ever hear Hadrien Feraud name mentioned.  First bass player in John McLaughlin & The 4th Dimension.
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John G.Perry (Caravan, Quantum Jump, Ant Phillips, Aviator and solo) 
Mick Karn (Japan and solo)
John Jowitt (Arena, IQ, Drifting Sun, Rain)
Lee Pomeroy (Wakeman, Hackett and sessions galore)
Paul Webb (Talk Talk)
Ralphe Armstrong (Ponty, sessions) 
Percy Jones (Brand X, sessions)
Fabio Zuffanti (Finisterre, La Maschera di Cera) 

I have many more....



Edited by tszirmay - November 13 2021 at 06:12
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Originally posted by Cylli Kat (0fficial) Cylli Kat (0fficial) wrote:

Another player that comes to my mind is the late, great Charles Tumahai (Be Bop Deluxe).
In the pocket, or wandering 'round, that man could play!!!

Good call, brilliant bass player. ClapClapClapClapClap
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Originally posted by cstack3 cstack3 wrote:

Originally posted by presdoug presdoug wrote:

What springs directly to mind is Helmut Koellen of Triumvirat, who sadly left us on May 3rd, 1977. Unfairly in the shadow of big name players like Chris Squire and Greg Lake, Helmut was also very good at vocals, and six and twelve string guitar, as well! It is his prowess on the Rickenbacker bass guitar, though, that I find the most appealing of all. As a musician/singer/songwriter, the "soul" of Triumvirat, it must be said, but rarely mentioned in magazines or books devoted to bass players. I do what I can to generate interest in this "from the heart" musician. RIP, Helmut Koellen.

Fantastic, Doug!!  Right on the money, he was amazing (I can say that as I saw them live). 

I'd suggest a couple:

a)  Mike Howlett, of Gong - check out his work on Gong's "You" LP 

b)  Lothar Meid, of Amon Duul II - great work on "Wolf City" and others, RIP! 

Thanks so much, Chuck!  How lucky you were to have seen Helmut live.
         That Gong bassist is new to me, will check him out; Lothar Meid was great in AD 2 and also the debut album of Klaus Doldinger's Passport! 
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Thomas Miller of Symphony X was always one of my underrated favorites. While I like the band's current bassist Michael Lepond, something about Miller's work on Divine Wings of Tragedy is just on another level.
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Originally posted by presdoug presdoug wrote:

What springs directly to mind is Helmut Koellen of Triumvirat, who sadly left us on May 3rd, 1977. Unfairly in the shadow of big name players like Chris Squire and Greg Lake, Helmut was also very good at vocals, and six and twelve string guitar, as well! It is his prowess on the Rickenbacker bass guitar, though, that I find the most appealing of all. As a musician/singer/songwriter, the "soul" of Triumvirat, it must be said, but rarely mentioned in magazines or books devoted to bass players. I do what I can to generate interest in this "from the heart" musician. RIP, Helmut Koellen.

Fantastic, Doug!!  Right on the money, he was amazing (I can say that as I saw them live). 

I'd suggest a couple:

a)  Mike Howlett, of Gong - check out his work on Gong's "You" LP 

b)  Lothar Meid, of Amon Duul II - great work on "Wolf City" and others, RIP! 
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The late Marcel Jacob of Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force and Talisman fame. This video collects some solo bass compositions (and straight-up solos). Some beautiful music here.
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Originally posted by JD JD wrote:

I don't know that Greg Lake was ever discussed as a great bass player. Now don't get me wrong. I think He WAS !

Don't worry, Greg Lake was an excellent bassist. I rate John Wetton above him, but both were excellent bassists whose vocals and songs got more attention.
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Originally posted by Cylli Kat (0fficial) Cylli Kat (0fficial) wrote:

My apologies if this topic has been touched on prior to this...

I was just listening to Fates Warning's Perfect Symmetry and it struck me how really solid the playing of Joe DiBiase is.

"Monument" alone elevates Joe DiBiase above the run-of-the-mill. Great bass player. Perfect for Fates.

Originally posted by Cylli Kat (0fficial) Cylli Kat (0fficial) wrote:

Another player that comes to my mind is the late, great Charles Tumahai (Be Bop Deluxe). In the pocket, or wandering 'round, that man could play!!!

Indeed. He does not get enough cred.
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Helmut Hattler.


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